William h



(No Model.)

W. H. BBNPORD. WAGON TONGUE. K

No. 459,356. Patented Sept. 8, 1891.

lllilll 20ml-m1 Berg-foret;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM H. BENFORD, OF DUBLIN, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO HARVEY M. PEEBLES, OF SAME PLACE.

WAGON-TONGUE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 459,356, dated September 8, 1891.

Application tiled December 31, 1890. Serial No. 376,403. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

-Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. BENEORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dublin,in the county of Barton and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Vagon- Tongue, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to improve- Inents in Wagon-tongue couplings and sup- Io ports; and the objects of the invention are to provide a cheap and durable device adapted to be connected to the hounds of a Wagon and to serve asameans for connecting the tongue adjustably thereto and for supporting said tongue.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the claim.

2o Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a perspective of a tongue connection and support constructed in accordance with my invention, the same being in position. Fig. 2 is a similar view in detail. Fig. 3 is a hori- 2 5 zontal section. Fig. tis a transverse section.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the device.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In practicing my invention I employ a cylindrical or other shaped socket l, and at the opposite sides of the same is located a pair of rearwardly-disposed straps 2. The straps 2 are of U shape in cross-section, and the terminals of the same are either secured or cast integral with the socket, and in either instance serve to give the straps a suitable spread or divergence, and yet at the same time" avoids an addition ot' weight to the device. In rear of the cylindrical socket the strap is provided With opposite parallelflanges 3, which embrace the opposite edges of the hounds 4. In front of the tube a pair of openings 8 is provided in the straps, through which the bolt may be passed.

` 9 designates the tongue or pole designed to iit the socket and provided with a series of adj usting-holes 10, through which and a corresponding hole 11 formed in the socket is passed a vertical pin 12, the said pin also passing through the perforated end of a ham- 5o mer-strap 13, upon which latter the head of the pin rests. The tube 5 passes through a transverse opening in the hounds 4, vand a bolt 6 passes through the tube and is provided at one end With a nut 7. A hook 14 is 55 formed in the front end of the socket, and a bracket l5 is secured to the front end of a Wagon, said bracket being provided with a hook 16 at its upper end, Which is connected to the hook of the socket by means of a suit- 6o able coupling, in this instance consisting of a pair of chain-sections 18, connected by a coiled spring-section 19. A stop 20, located upon the tongue, serves to limit the same in its rearward movement. By means of the coupling the tongue is always supported in proper position and its Weight removed from the animals. By removing the pin from the adjusting-holes the tongue may be lengthened and shortened, so as to be adapted for 7o different teams.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- The combination, With the perforated tongue, of the herein-described connection, the same consisting of the central cylindrical socket l, receiving the tongue and having a perforation registering with that of the tongue, the opposite diverging straps 2, bolted to the hounds, the adjusting-pin passing 8o through the socket and tongue, and the hammer-strap secured to the connection and perforated to receive the bolt, the head of which latter rests upon the strap, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

VILLIAM Il. BENFORD. l

lVitnesses:

JAMES A. ELLIOTT, R. N. ARNOLD.' 

